


Zukka Week 2018

by PurplePlatypusBear21



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Friendship, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance, Sokka is gay, Zukka Week, Zukka Week 2018, Zuko is really gay, zukka - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2019-03-07 17:58:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13440177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurplePlatypusBear21/pseuds/PurplePlatypusBear21
Summary: My short stories (400–800 words) for Zukka Week 2018.  Each chapter is its own story.  I hope you enjoy!  Please review : )





	1. Swords

**Day 1:** Swords 

 **Genres:** Hurt/Comfort/Friendship 

 **Rating:** T

 **Setting:** Fire Nation Palace courtyard (after _North & South_)

* * *

**Swords**

“DAMN IT!” Sokka cried before throwing his sword down at his feet and storming off. 

“Sokka, come on!  It was just a…”  Despondence fell upon Zuko as he watched his friend walk away, shoulders hunched, hands balled into fists, neck stretched forward.  He sighed.

The Fire Lord wasn’t sure why his wolf-tailed buddy would take the loss of a silly “swordbending” match so hard, but nevertheless, he was determined to find out.  He found the sulking boy sitting by the turtle-duck pond with his knees pulled to his chest.

“Sorry I overreacted,” Sokka muttered.

“That’s okay…”  Zuko took a seat next to the blue-eyed warrior.  “What’s going on?”

“It’s stupid.”

“Well, if you ask Azula, stupidity is my area of expertise.”

He chuckled, smiling halfheartedly.  “It’s just… ever since the war ended, I’ve just been feeling kinda… unimportant.”

“Unimportant?”  The firebender raised an eyebrow.  “Is this because of – ”

“No, it has nothing to do with Suki, but that certainly doesn’t help.”

Zuko frowned, concerned.

“During the war, I was the plan guy, but now… I’m just ordinary.”

He opened his mouth to interject, but Sokka kept on speaking.

“It’s just hard being best friends with some of the most powerful benders in the world, constantly surrounded by greatness.  Katara is a master waterbender, Toph invented metalbending, Aang is the freaking _Avatar_ , and you – you learned firebending from the _dragons_ themselves!  I… I thought after my training with Master Piandao that I could at least be the sword guy…”  He looked down at his boots and shook his head.  “But I can’t even have that.” 

“Hey.”  The Fire Lord tentatively placed his hand on his grieving friend’s back.  “You’ve gotten _a lot_ better – you’re probably just getting in your own head.  If you still had your space sword, I’m sure you’d – ” 

“Stop.”  The warrior brushed Zuko’s hand away.  “That’s not what I want to hear right now.” 

“Okay.  Then you should hear _this_.”  He took a deep breath.  “To me, you’re anything but ordinary, you’re – you’re who we all aspire to be.”

Sokka turned his head to face his friend.

“Without you, there’s no way we would have won the war.  You don’t need to be the sword guy or the anything guy because you… you’re _everything_.  You’re the most intelligent, witty, attractive, funny – ”

“Wait.”  He blinked, blushing a bit.  “Back up a second.” 

The firebender’s cheeks flushed.

“What was the last thing you just said?”

“You’re funny…?”

“No, before that.”

“Witty…?”

“No.  You said I was _attractive_.”  Sokka smirked.  “You think I’m hot!”

“That’s not what I – ”

“What is it that you find so appealing?” he teased, “My smile?  My baby blues?”

“Shut up,” Zuko laughed.  “I was just trying to make you feel better.”

“Well.”  He slapped his hand down on his embarrassed buddy’s knee.  “Mission accomplished.” 


	2. Jokes and Sarcasm/Laughter

**Day 2:** Jokes and Sarcasm/Laughter 

 **Genres:** Humor/Friendship 

 **Rating:** T

 **Setting:** Southern Water Tribe (after _North and South_ )

* * *

 **Jokes and Sarcasm/Laughter**  

“Here’s your tea, oh mighty Sniffle Lord.”  Sokka sat on the edge of Zuko’s mattress, presenting the tea to his pale-faced friend after the firebender struggled to sit up.  “Drink it while it’s hot.”

“Thank you,” he croaked.  “Ugh!  This smells disgusting!”

“Yeah, well it’s good for you, so drink up!”

Zuko took a timid sip.  “Blech.”

“You know what tea is _really_ hard to swallow?”

The Fire Lord braced himself for a bad joke.

“Reality!”

He stared at his blue-eyed buddy, unamused.

“Get it?!  Reali-TEA!”

“Yeah, I get it.”

Sokka grinned.

Zuko took another small sip and shuddered.  “Did I ever mention how much I _hate_ being sick?”

“Guess your delicate Fire Nation body can’t handle the brutal cold of the Southern Water Tribe,” he laughed.  “For me, it’s no big deal.”  He smiled pompously.

The firebender rolled his eyes.  “Can’t you get your sister to wave her magical hands over me and make my horrid illness go away?”

“You mean your sniffles?”

Zuko glared at his caretaker.

“Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that.  And besides, Katara is plenty busy healing our dad after he was, you know, _stabbed_.”

“Yeah, yeah.  I guess that’s slightly more urgent.”  He sloppily rubbed his face in an attempt to relieve the pain in his sinuses, seemingly displeased when he reached his nose.

“What?” the warrior asked patronizingly.

“I hate facial hair.”  He rubbed his chin, looking repulsed.

“You know, I used to hate it too.  But then it grew on me!”  Another wide grin spread across his cheeks.

“Har, har, har.”  The sniffling boy’s sarcasm was oppressive.

“Come on.  Laughter is the very best medicine.”

“But you’re not funny.”

Sokka gasped, offended.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, groaning.  “You _are_ funny.  I’m just grumpy because everything hurts right now.”

“Okay.  Then what can I do to make you feel better?”

“Hm…”  Zuko thought long and hard.  “Well, it would almost certainly make me laugh if you dressed up as an actual nurse.”

“You know, if you had asked me to do this before the war, I would have been completely opposed to crossdressing.  But now I know how awesome I look in a Kyoshi warrior uniform, so… I’ll be right back!”  

The wolf-tailed warrior dashed out of the bedroom.  When he returned several minutes later, he was clad in full nurses’ attire.  His hair was down and his blue eyes sparkled with mischief.

The firebender’s golden eyes went wide.

“So, what do you think?!”

“Uhhhhh…”  His cheeks burned crimson red.

“You’re not laughing.”

He mustered up some fake laughter, feeling uncomfortable and oddly intrigued all at once.

“Now, Fire Lord Zuko, let me check your temperature.”  Sokka leaned over his sick friend and placed his hand on his forehead.  “Ooh, you’re burning up!  Don’t worry.  Nurse Sokka knows just what to do.”

His pulse rushing, Zuko stared into his buddy’s sea blue eyes, more confused than he’d ever been in his entire life.


	3. The Boiling Rock

**Day 3:** The Boiling Rock

 **Genres:** Romance/Friendship

 **Rating:** G

 **Setting:** Fire Nation Royal Palace (after  _North and South_ )

* * *

**The Boiling Rock**

"Zuko, look." The blue-eyed boy exhaled sharply. "You don't have to do all this for me. You don't have to wine and dine me. I know what you're trying to do – "

"I don't think you do – "

"And it's not necessary." He smiled. "For the last time, I'm not mad at you."

"I know, that's not – "

"Sure it sucks you stole my girlfriend, but I  _know_  you'd never do anything to hurt me, at least intentionally – "

"Sokka…"

"And I should have known she'd fall for you after being your bodyguard for so long." He took a swig of his wine, resting his elbows on the candlelit table in the palace ballroom. "So you don't have to do this. I don't need the royal treatment. There're no hard feelings. You don't have to worry about our friendship."

"Actually I do – "

"If you're after my blessing, you've got it. You have my permission to date Suki – "

"Sokka, stop."

The warrior arched his eyebrows.

"I'm not doing this for your blessing or your forgiveness. I don't want Suki. I want…" Zuko paused, wondering if his mouth would finally spit out what he'd been holding back for so long. "… you."

"You want me to what?"

"Ummm…" His cheeks reddened.

"Oh." Sokka looked baffled. "OH!" His heart jumped in his chest as the words sank in. "I… I don't know what – "

"I know it's weird, a-and you probably don't feel the same way, but I just had to – "

"Since… since when? When did you – "

"When we went to the Boiling Rock. That was the first time I felt it." Zuko swallowed. "At first I thought I was blindly following you into a death mission because I wanted to earn your trust. But now… I know that's not the reason why."

Sokka waited for him to continue, his head spinning.

A gentle laugh escaped Zuko's lips. "We barely knew each other at the time, but even then, the thought of you getting hurt or worse was unbearable to me. I-I couldn't let that happen, so I – "

"So you went with me that night." He took a deep breath. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Lots of reasons! You had a girlfriend, I didn't know what people would think, I was confused, y-you're my best friend and I didn't want to risk – "

"Zuko… I'd  _never_  stop being your friend." The warrior smiled warmly. "You're my best friend too."

The firebender smiled back, but it quickly faded. "But you don't feel the same way…"

I don't know," he breathed. "I need time to process, Suki  _just_  broke up with me! I don't know what to think."

He nodded, feeling disheartened.

"But what I do know is… some of my happiest moments were ones spent with you, and I-I feel like I can completely be myself around you, and…" Sokka chuckled to himself. "Truth be told, I may have felt something for you too when we went to the Boiling Rock." He blushed.

"You  _did_?"

"I-I just chocked it up to the rush of heading into such a dangerous mission, the risk of us losing our lives… I think that's why I was so excited to see Suki there. She was the perfect distraction from the confusing feelings I was having." He noticed his friend had an odd smile on his face, one he had never seen before. "What?"

"N-Nothing!" Zuko laughed. "I'm just… happy to hear that I guess."

He smiled, laughing softly.

"So… I know you need time to think, a-and that's okay, but… do you ever see us ever being more than just friends?"

"I… I don't even know where we'd start…"

"How about with…" He stood from the table and offered the warrior his hand. "… a dance?"

Sokka gazed into the firebender's bright eyes, flickering yellow and orange in the candlelight. And with one leap of faith, he took the boy's hand.


	4. Nightmares

**Day 4:** Nightmares

 **Genres:** Humor/Romance

 **Rating:** T

 **Setting:** Fire Nation Royal Palace (after  _North and South_ )

* * *

**Nightmares**

Zuko awoke in sheer panic, jolting up in bed and clutching his chest, sweat matting his black hair and beading on his forehead. His eyes darted around the bedroom as he tried to piece together what had just happened.

Mai didn't say anything. She just crossed her arms and scowled at him.

"Sorry…" he panted. "Didn't mean to wake you."

"That must have been some hell of a dream…"

"Yeah… I mean, no! It was a  _nightmare_!"

"Sure didn't sound like it," she muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." She sighed. "You look terrible. Go clean yourself up and meet me in the dining room for breakfast?"

"Sure." He leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek, but she got up from the mattress before he could reach her.

* * *

"So, how'd he take it?" Ty Lee asked, sympathetically.

"Surprisingly well. Almost too well…"

"Well that's good! See? I knew it wouldn't be so bad." The chipper acrobat gave Suki a big hug before turning to the pale-skinned girl sitting across from her. "Mai? Don't you have anything to say to Suki? She just broke up with Sokka last night!"

"Huh?" Mai blinked. "What?"

"Is everything okay?" Suki asked. "You seem… distracted."

She stole a stealthy look around the dining room. "This stays between us." She lowered her voice. "Last night… Zuko had an erotic dream."

The two bodyguards glanced at each other and back at Mai, perplexed.

"About someone who's not me. Someone we know."

Ty Lee gasped.

"Are you sure?" Suki whispered, intrigued.

"Positive. He was moaning all night."

"How do you know the dream wasn't about you?" the bubbly brunette inquired.

"If that were the case, Zuko would have just admitted it and told me what it was about." Mai paused. "But instead, he lied and said he had a nightmare. That's what makes me think it's about someone we know."

"Hm, that  _is_  suspicious." Suki squinted her eyes as she thought. "Who do you think it was about?"

"No idea!"

"Well, let's try to narrow down the suspects. Could it have been Toph? Katara?"

Mai shook her head. "Too short, too annoying. Next?"

"Maybe it was  _Azula_!" Ty Lee blurted.

Suki's mouth fell open.

Mai's face coiled in disgust.

"What? That would explain why he'd be so ashamed!"

"This was  _Zuko's_  dream, not  _yours_ ," the black-haired girl taunted.

"Very funny." The acrobat tried and failed to hide a smirk. "Do you think it could have been one of us?"

"Possibly… but I'd say between the two of you, it'd probably be Suki."

"Aw, I'm flattered," the Kyoshi warrior smiled.

"Why?!" Ty Lee questioned. "Why not – "

"Good morning." Zuko greeted the girls sluggishly as he made his way into the dining room, taking a seat next to his girlfriend.

"Good morning, Fire Lord Zuko," Ty Lee purred, not-so-accidentally letting her robe slip off her shoulder. "Oops! Clumsy me." She straightened her robe.

The firebender paid her no mind.

"I heard you had a rough night's sleep. Are you feeling okay?" Suki smiled flirtatiously. "Is there anything I can get for you?"

"No. I'm fine."

The bodyguards looked at each other and shrugged.

"Good morning, friends!" Sokka sang as he entered the dining room. "What's for breakfast?"

The firebender refused to make eye contact with him.

"Spirits, Zuko!" Ty Lee shouted with concern. "You're turning red!"

Suki gasped. "It was  _Sokka_!"

Mai snapped her head toward her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend. "You had a sex dream about  _Sokka_?!"

"WHAT?! N-No, that's – "

"You did! You absolutely did! You're unbelievable." She stood from the table. "It's over. For real this time." She stormed out of the room.

The bodyguards followed after her.

"Whoa, what did I miss?" Sokka sat down next to his mortified friend. "Is it true?"

"No."

"Come on, you can tell me…"

"Why do you care?"

"I'm curious!" The warrior grinned. "Can you blame me?"

Zuko huffed. "Fine. It's true. Happy?"

"No. But I  _will_  be if you tell me what we did…"

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Come on! I won't tell anyone.  _Please_? For me?" He batted his long lashes over his blue eyes.

"If it will get you to shut up." The firebender leaned in and whispered the details of his erotic dream into Sokka's ear. "Now can you leave me alone so I can wallow in my own humiliation?"

"No." Sokka smirked. "Excluding the part that involved my boomerang, I'd be willing to give the other parts a shot."

"Wait… are you serious?!"

"Yeah, why not? I'm an open-minded guy, you're good-looking, I trust you, and I've been super horny since Suki broke up with me… last night."

Zuko stared at him, dumbfounded.

"So, what d'ya say?"

"I say…" He smirked. "Let's discuss this further. In my bedroom.  _Now_."


	5. Growth and Change

**Day 5:** Growth and Change

 **Genres:** Friendship/Angst

 **Rating:** T

 **Setting:** Modern, non-bending AU

* * *

**Growth and Change**

"Come on!" Zuko shouted, pulling his friend along by the hand. "Over here!" The twelve-year-old parted two bushes and crawled between them until the world around him went dark.

Sokka followed him. "Whoa. Where are we?"

"Inside the oak tree." He stood with his back against the bark to make room. "The monsters'll never find us here."

"It's a little cramped…"

"Sorry," Zuko laughed. "It's my secret hideout."

"Secret? Then why are you showing me?"

"Because! You're my best friend." He smiled. "And best friends don't keep secrets."

Sokka blushed. "Zuko… t-there's something I should – "

"Shhh." The yellow-eyed boy covered his friend's mouth. "They're near."

The boys listened, as quiet as mice. They heard some footsteps pass by. But just as they let their guard down, the bushes parted and they were ambushed by a garden hose.

"Azula!" Zuko cried, blocking his face from the stream of water. "What the heck?!"

"You wanted a monster? You've got one," the ten-year-old spat.

"Cut it out!" Sokka yelled, trying to shield his friend from the attack.

"Stop it!" Ty Lee shrieked.

"Azula!" Mai sprinted toward the action. "That's enough!" She hurled a water balloon, hitting Azula in the back.

"Okay! Geesh!" She released the trigger. "You two were supposed to be on  _my_  team!"

"Not when you're being a jerk," Ty Lee huffed.

"Oh no." She rolled her eyes. "The boys are all wet. What a crime!" She smirked. "Guess we should leave the  _lovebirds_  to dry their feathers."

Zuko and Sokka looked at each other, red in the face.

"There's no need to be cruel," Mai derided.

"I'm just calling it like it is." Azula crossed her arms. "They're lovebirds. They just haven't realized it yet."

* * *

_Five Years Later_

Zuko picked up his latte from the bar and spun around, meeting two blue eyes he hadn't seen since he was a child.

"Zuko?" Sokka breathed. He looked as if he'd seen a ghost.

He opened his mouth but was lost for words. "H-Hi – "

The taller boy wrapped his arms around his old friend. "It's so good to see you. I never thought I'd – "

"Yeah." Zuko patted the boy on the back. "Me too."

Sokka released him. "You've… you're all grown up," he laughed.

"So are you."

"Can we… do you want to sit down for a bit and catch up?"

"I…" He looked uneasy. "I need to, uh – "

"Come on." Sokka smiled warmly. "For old times' sake?"

Zuko momentarily held his breath. "O-Okay, sure."

The boys took a seat in the back of the coffeeshop, far from prying ears.

"I can't believe it's really you," the blue-eyed boy whispered.

"What are you doing here?"

"College touring, can you believe it?" he grinned.

He chuckled. "It's been a while."

"Yeah." Sokka's grin faded. "You don't… seem happy to see me."

"I-It's not that – "

"Then what is it?" He sighed. "Zuko… we used to be  _best_  friends – I wrote to you every day for a year!"

"I know, I – "

"The day your father sent you away was one of the worst days of my life! H-How was it so easy for you to write me off?! Has boarding school really changed you  _that_ much?!"

"No! I-It's complicated!"

"Then explain it to me!  _Please_. All these years I've been trying to figure it out – "

"Sokka…" The yellow-eyed boy took a deep breath. "Father has been  _displeased_  with me for a long time. I-I've been keeping my head low and working hard so that I… so that Father deems me worthy enough to come home."

"He… won't let you come home?"

Zuko shook his head. "Not until he thinks I have what it takes to inherit his multimillion dollar company. Right now, he's leaning toward giving it to Azula! Just imagine what she'd do with that kind of power."

"I don't understand what that has to do with me… with us…"

He looked down at his coffee cup. "Father… didn't approve of our friendship."

"What? Why not?!"

"I-I  _can't_  tell you."

"What ever happened to not keeping secrets?"

"That was a long time ago."

"Don't give me that bullshit."

"I don't know what to say!"

"Tell me the  _truth_!"

Zuko gritted his teeth. "Fine." He sighed. "Father could tell that I…"

Sokka's heart was pounding.

"That I  _loved_  you." He didn't even realize he was holding Sokka's hands. "Say something, won't you?"

"There's a party tonight." Smiling, he began to write something down on a napkin. "Here's the address. Meet me there. Eight o'clock."

"What? That's all you have to say?!"

"Just be there. Okay?" Sokka handed over the paper before scurrying out of the coffeeshop.

Hands shaking, Zuko opened the napkin to find a scribbled down address along with a note.

 _'_ _By the way, I loved you too.'_


	6. The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars

**Day 6:** The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars

 **Genres:** Humor/Romance

 **Rating:** T

 **Setting:** Earth Kingdom forest (after  _North and South_ )

* * *

**The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars**

"Yeah… I'm pretty sure he's dead."

"You said it was – "

"I know what I said. But the more I think about it, the clearer it becomes." Sokka noticed the firebender's incredulous stare. "What?! You didn't see the rock that hit him! He kinda went…  _splat_."

"If you're so sure he's dead, then why even come out with me all the way to the Earth Kingdom to help find him?!"

"Boredom?"

Zuko groaned.

" _And_  because we haven't hung out in a while," he quickly added. "Just the two of us."

"Sure…"

"Besides. We  _especially_  need this bro time now that we're both single men out on the – WATCH OUT!" Sokka tackled Zuko to the ground.

"What the hell was that for?!"

He rolled off the firebender and helped him up. "This forest is riddled with boobytraps." He pointed to the tripwire near the ground.

Zuko nodded.

"Gotta watch your step." Sokka grinned smugly. "Fortunately for you, I know all of the tricks of the AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" The ground beneath his feet disappeared as he tumbled into a giant pit.

Zuko fell in right after him. "Oof." His face twisted with pain. "What was that about knowing all the tricks?"

"Well gee,  _sorry_!" Sokka began rubbing his own sore back. "Whose bright idea was it to come here at  _night_?!"

"Because it's so much smarter to hunt down a derelict during broad daylight, right?!"

"Derelict?" Sokka laughed. "Now  _those_ are fighting words."

"Shut up."

He smiled. "No need to be grumpy, Grump Lord. We're gonna be stuck down here for a while, so we may as well make the most of it."

"SERIOUSLY?!"

"Do you see anything we can climb?!"

"No…"

"If we're gonna figure a way out of here, we're going to need light, which unfortunately we won't see for several more hours."

Zuko ignited his hand with flames.

"No offense, but we'd need more than that."

"You're right," he huffed, extinguishing the fire. "So then… what should we do?"

Sokka shrugged. "Stargaze? It's a beautiful night."

"Is it? I'm  _freezing_."

"You Fire Nation folk are weak."

Zuko chuckled.

"Here." He removed his outermost layer and placed it on his friend's shoulders. "Better?"

"A little."

Sokka smiled softly. "Hey… why are you so eager to find Jet anyway?"

"I figured he could be useful in tracking down my runaway sister."

"I don't buy it.  _We_  could have tracked her down if that was your end goal. There must be another reason."

"Maybe I just want to know if he's really dead or not!"

"Or maybe it's because you had a crush on him…"

"W-WHAT?! NO! Don't be ridiculous!"

"I'm not!  _I_  think you met a ruggedly handsome guy on a boat years ago and you haven't been able to get him out of your head."

"Ruggedly handsome?" Zuko taunted. "Now who had the crush?"

He laughed. "Hey, I can admit when I see an attractive guy."

"Oh yeah? Then… what about me?"

"What about you?"

"Can you admit you find me attractive?"

"I could…  _if_ that were true."

Zuko's face fell.

"I'm just kidding! Geez, can't you take a joke?"

"No."

"Oh, that's right, Grump Lord. Well then if I  _really_ need to straighten it out for you, Zuko, you are one good-looking guy."

"You're just saying that."

"No, I mean it! Really."

Zuko smiled.

"Okay, now it's your turn."

"What?! No, I'm not doing that."

"Why not?!"

"Because it's pointless."

Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"I-It's so  _obvious_! Everyone finds you attractive!"

His blue eyes went wide.

"Suki loved you, Ty Lee and Toph had huge crushes on you, I've seen the creepy way Azula looks at you, and I'm willing to bet even Mai's considered it!"

"W-Well that  _is_  flattering. But I don't care what they think. I want to know what  _you_  think."

"W-Why?"

"Because… I… well…" He looked into Zuko's yellow eyes. "Ah, fuck it." Taking a very bold step, he gently pressed his lips to the firebender's.

Zuko's eyes flew open. "W-Why did you do that?!"

"I don't know…" He paused. "Did you… like it?"

"Did  _you_?!"

"I asked you first."

"I – w-well," Zuko stammered. "Ugh." He grabbed Sokka by the shirt collar and pulled him close, capturing his lips with another kiss.

Beneath the starry night's sky, their kisses grew hotter and hungrier with every passing moment.

"Zuko," Sokka panted. "Before we take things further, I need to know that you're not… ashamed."

"N-No, not at all! Sokka, if we get out of here, I swear to the sun, the moon, and the stars, I'll tell  _everyone_  about us!"

He blushed. "Well… okay then." He leaned in for another kiss but was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Hey boys."

Panicked, they looked up to find that someone was watching them.

Jet smirked. "Room for one more?"


	7. Free Day

**Day 7:** Free Day

 **Genres:** Humor/Romance

 **Rating:** T

 **Setting:** No war, Ba Sing Se University AU

* * *

**Free Day**

Three knocks startled Zuko from his nighttime ritual. Sleepy and annoyed, the pajama-clad boy opened his dorm room door to find a foxy blue-eyed boy, someone he recognized. Suddenly, his fatigue seemed to fade away.

"Hiya, neighbor," the boy greeted. "Hey, I remember you! From orientation."

"Hi…"

"I'm Sokka. I live next door." He nudged his head to the right.

"Zuko here."

"Nice to meet you, Zuko! Mind if I come in for a bit? I…" Sokka began to chuckle nervously. "I kinda got kicked out of my room."

"Um, okay…" Zuko moved out of the way, allowing the boy with the wolf-tail inside. "W-Whatchya do? To get kicked out I mean."

"Oh, nothing. My roommate, Jet, sexiled me. He's a total jerk."

"Sexiled? Oh. Got it." He snickered. "But it's only the first week of classes!"

"Yeah… he moves fast."

"Guess so."

"You're lucky you have a single." Sokka walked around his room, eyeing all his belongings. "Whoa, is that a tsungi horn?!"

Zuko's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Yeah…"

"Cool. I've always wanted to learn to play an instrument." He crossed to the back wall, staring at a decorative blue spirit mask mounted at eye level with two dual swords hanging above it. "You have a  _lot_  of stuff! You must be royalty or something."

He smiled. "Actually, I am – "

"Hey, d'ya have any poetry?" he asked, perusing the firebender's bookshelf. "I love poetry."

"Y-Yeah. That book to your left. One more over – no, not that one!"

Sokka pulled a thin book from the shelf.

"Uhhh, that's my sister's…"

"You have a sister? Me too! She's really annoying. She'll probably be joining us next year when she turns eighteen."

"My sister's already a student here, even though she just turned seventeen. She's ' _gifted_ ', 'a true  _prodigy_ '," Zuko groaned.

"Sounds like you two really get along," he laughed, finally looking down at the book in his hands. " _Love Amongst the Dragons_? Oh! I've heard of this play. Wanna act it out?" Sokka kicked off his shoes and hopped onto the yellow-eyed boy's bed.

"Ummm…" Although he wasn't exactly in the mood for acting, he wasn't about to say no to the cute boy on his bed. "Sure."

He made room for his new friend and lay down on his stomach. "Come here." He flattened out the first page of the script.

Zuko lay down next to him.

He cleared his throat and began theatrically delivering the lines. The boys made it roughly through an eighth of the play when Sokka broke character.

"Look, I need to be honest here…" The wolf-tailed boy kept his eyes affixed to the script. "I kinda had an ulterior motive for inviting myself into your room."

"Y-You did?!" he choked.

"Yeah, I… I saw you at orientation and thought you were cute," he laughed, his cheeks reddening.

"I… I didn't know you were, uh…"

"Gay?" Sokka offered.

"Yeah," he chuckled.

"I'm pan actually. What about you?"

"I'm… honestly not so sure. I had a girlfriend once. That was okay. She kinda bored me sometimes. But I've never… done anything with a guy before…"

"Do you want to?"

Zuko brought his panicked gaze up to the boy's deep blue eyes. Timidly, he nodded.

Sokka closed the script and smiled before slowly leaning in and kissing the firebender softly on the lips.

He closed his eyes and leaned into it, deepening the kiss. Feeling the electricity between them, he reached his hand into Sokka's hair, gently pulling out the band tying it up. He threw it to the floor.

It didn't take long before the blue-eyed teenager found himself on top of his neighbor, earning a rewarding groan upon the transition.

But just as things really started getting heated, the boys were interrupted by some animalistic moaning coming from the other side of the wall.

Sokka picked up his head. "That's Jet for ya. Didn't realize his date would be so loud."

"Wait a second…" Zuko listened for a bit. His eyes filled with dread. "His date… did you meet her?"

"Very briefly. Can't even remember her name… why?"

"What did she look like?"

"Ummm, kinda short, long black hair, yellow eyes kinda like yours, red lips. Pretty hot but in a mean kind of way – "

"Ugh." He threw his head back on the pillow. "That's my sister. Azula."

"Yeah! That's her name!" Sokka laughed. "Well, guess that kinda puts a damper on things for tonight…"

"You think?"

"Hey, then I have another idea!" He hopped off the bed and walked over to the tsungi horn. "I think this is the perfect time for me to learn how to play. You can… sing."

"I can't sing." Zuko smirked, knowing their musical escapades would ruin his sister's night of lovemaking.

"Perfect."


End file.
